


Fragile

by MorganaNK



Category: Inspector Lynley - All Media Types, Inspector Lynley Mysteries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:01:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26381557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganaNK/pseuds/MorganaNK
Summary: A fic set in the latter part of the show and inspired by a post on Pinterest
Relationships: Barbara Havers/Thomas Lynley
Comments: 5
Kudos: 12





	Fragile

**Author's Note:**

> Property of Elizabeth George and the BBC, no copyright infringement intended

I was in the gents when I overheard two constables talking about Barbara. They were joking how the only way the words fragile and Barbara could be used in the same sentence was if you were comparing her to a bomb. I stayed hidden, quietly seething as they said both needed handling with care to stop them exploding and taking your head off.

Once they had finished ridiculing her, I made my presence known and reprimanded them both with a controlled fury I knew put the fear of god into suspects and idiot constables alike. I then retreated to my office to calm down.

Barbara could be fragile, and she would never forgive me if I called her that, but it was the truth. She had been through so much in her life, things that would break a lesser person. 

Not Barbara. She rebuilt her shell and battled on regardless. Unless you were close to her, then she would let you in and you could see how fragile she could truly be.

We were incredibly alike, not that most people would agree. The only difference as far as I was concerned was that my bank account allowed me to be miserable in comfort. We had both had difficult childhoods, had both been damaged by our parents. Even the way we dealt with our experiences was the same; we lashed out in anger.

We still do.

What’s changed is that we can shout at each other as much as we like, and while we may retreat to opposite corners to lick our wounds, we will come back together, and be there for each other. 

And always defend each other from attack, as the constables had discovered. I was disappointed that people hadn't worked that out by now.

The door to my office opened and Barbara appeared.

“I hear that there’s a whiskey with your name on it waiting at our local.”

I smiled at her cheekiness. “Would that be the whiskey being kept company by the pint with your name on it?”

“I’ll drink both if you don’t get a wriggle on.”

Grabbing my jacket and keys, I joined her at the door. “A man’s whiskey is sacrosanct.”

“A man’s whiskey is fair game if he keeps his drinking partner waiting.”

“Let’s go.”

“Finally.”

“I’ll even buy the first round as penance.”

She ran to the lift, leaving me laughing in her wake.


End file.
